MANILA: Meralco import Josh Davis has a funny looking jumpshot; takes free throws while seemingly looking at the ground and closing his eyes before flipping an attempt.

He is simply not a joy to watch, which made sure that he was out of the radar during the pre-season, his name not mentioned at all as one of the imports to watch.

But less than three weeks into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations, the man who was just the second choice for the Bolts has surprisingly become the barometer of imports by which success is measured.

Davis canned the most unorthodox-looking, left-handed looping jumper at the buzzer on Sunday night and extended the Bolts’ league-best winning run to five after edging Globalport, 86-84, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“Surprisingly, he has been practicing that shot,” Meralco coach Norman Black said when asked if he was comfortable seeing Davis take that kind of a shot when the game is on the line. “And he asked for the ball during our timeout.”

Davis capped a splendid all-around game with that winning shot as Meralco put some distance on its pursuers that now count Talk ‘N Text, which came from behind to nip the legendary come-from-behind team in the league, Barangay Ginebra, in the second game.

“When your best player asks for the ball, there’s nothing much you can do,” Black said. “He told me he was going to make the (game-winning) shot (during the timeout) and he delivered.”

Gary David scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth period and teamed up with Davis in hitting all but two of the Bolts’ 27 points in that stretch.

Davis finished with 33 points, 24 rebounds and five steals as he outworked new Globalport import Calvin Warner the whole night.

There seems to be no secret to the success that Davis is enjoying in the young tournament other than his work ethic.

He played just slightly over 45 minutes and had just three turnovers.

Warner, who came in as a replacement for the reedy CJ Leslie, scored 24 points and had 16 rebounds. He also completed a three-point play off Davis with 49.9 seconds left which ushered Globalport to an 81-80 edge.

Ronjay Buenafe tied the game for the last time at 84 after a booming triple under heavy pressure with under three seconds left.

The Tropang Texters erased a 17-point second quarter deficit and then hung tough in the stretch to carve out a 104-103 decision of the Gin Kings and rise to 4-1, tied for second with defending champion Purefoods.

Rain or Shine inflicted the first loss on the Star Hotshots on Saturday in Dipolog City, 78-71, and climbed to 3-2.

Jason Castro fired 31 points, had nine assists and came up with the stop of the game that eventually snapped the Gin Kings’ winning run at two games.

Castro was held scoreless in the first period but had 12 in the second after the Texters had fallen behind, 24-41.

The Texters, the runners-up here to San Mig Coffee, now Purefoods, last season, scored 14 unanswered points to quickly get back in the game and trail the Gin Kings by just three points at halftime.

Talk ‘N Text pounded out the win even with import Richard Howell saddled with four fouls as early as the 6:20 mark of the second period. Howell picked up his fifth with under four minutes left in the third but still finished the game with 20 points and 17 rebounds.

Michael Dunigan had 30 points and 18 boards for Ginebra.

Meanwhile, the league’s board of governors announced in between games that it had accepted commissioner Chito Salud’s decision to step down at the end of the season.

A special board meeting has also been scheduled for Feb. 26 where it will draw up the criteria for the man who will succeed Salud.

Chairman Pato Gregorio also said that a new commissioner will be named before the end of the current conference and that the replacement will start working during the season-ending Governors’ Cup for an easy transition.